छोरो मर्यो भनेर पिर नगर्नु, तर काल पल्क्यो भनेर होस गर्नु

छोरो मर्यो भनेर पिर नगर्नु, तर काल पल्क्यो भनेर होस गर्नु - "Do not feel sorry for the death of one son but watch out that death might return again frequently." Dor Bahadur quotes this proverb while writing on the “Foreign Aid and Development.” I will be glad to share a review of “‘Fatalism and Developmen’ by Dor Bahadur” with those who are interested to talk in person. I sometime feel, I do not find individual or groups to discuss the issue. Though the book was written 25 years ago, the issues and concepts are still relevant today. I would request every one who is at development works, must read and contemplate on this.

Whole section talks about the issues of the aid and how it is affecting to Nepalis in a greater extent. The problem is that we Nepalis have defined the the word “development” in a very clumsy way. “Gas, Bas ra Kapas” (food, clothing and shelter) have become our prime indicators for development. I partly blame our school-curriculum that imparted such world-views in us. We were nurtured to become passive, not an innovative. We just copied, never learned. We could not think beyond the border.

Going back to the point again, we have been receiving those aids for more than 60+ years now. However, things have not improved much. Some people argue that there is a lot has come out. Probably, they may display some improved health statistics from the western Himalayan regions. I am not trying to address all those issues here. Let us go further deep and see where are we standing on the track. Bista writes, “Fatalism is connected to dependency…” those aids have become a reason to control power and which is particularly associated with corruption, and this has become a new avenue for the exploitation of the people. Look at the last earthquake and how mushrooms of NGOS and INGOs are all around/in Kathmandu, and we see realities at ground. To those who have visited Nuwakot and surrounding regioin may know this better. (sometime even medias are also bias)

Having said so, it does not mean that we should blame foreign aid. Dor bahadur says, “there is not wisdom in blaming foreign aid and wishing for its discontinuation. This does not, however, mean that Nepal should wish for foreign aid to take care of all its needs, while Nepalis sit back doing nothing themselves. The people have to work hard to help develop a higher standard of living’ That means we need “innovation” and our fatalistic world-view need to be transformed! This is the issue.